Rail-fastener.



UNITED STATE PATENT jO-FF-ICE.

JOHN WALKER GAY, OF CROWVLEY, OREGON.

RAlL-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,526, dated June 12,1900. Application filed September 29J 1899. Serial No. 732,087. (Nomodel.)

T0 on whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WALKER GAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Growley, in the county of Polk and State of Ore gon, haveinvented a new and usefulRaiL Fastener, of which the following is aspecification. v

This invention relates to rail fasteners, and includes a number ofcoacting devices designed to replace the ordinary spike-fasten-, ingsand overcome the numerous objections to the latter, and particularly toprevent loosening of the rails and hold them with such firmness as tocompletely resist spreading or dislodgment from their requiredgage-space, and especially on curves, and to utilize for this purposesuch devices as can be easily applied and which will require but littleattention after setting the same in operative position, and also of suchnature as to permit an easy disconnectionto remove worn-out rails:

and adaptable for reuse on said substitute rails. v

Other objects and advantages will appear in the subjoined descriptionand the novelty will be hereinafter claimed, the preferred em-.

bodiments of the improvement being illus trated in the accompanyingdrawings, where- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an appliedrail-fastener embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is asimilar view of the im-- proved chair-bar. Fig. 3 is a similar view ofone of the key-blocks. Fig. at is a similar view of another of thekey-blocks. Fig. 5 is a section taken longitudinally of a railroadtieand transversely ofthe fastening devices and rail and embodying thefeatures of the invention as used on a straight run of track; I

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig.1, showing the arrangement of theimproved devices when adapted for use on curves. Fig. 7 is a similarview showing a slight change in the arran gement of parts. Fig. Sis aside elevation of a tie and the improved chair-bar, showing the latterextending continuously across the tie in a longitudinal direction andwhich is a feature common to all the forms.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate'correspondingparts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates a tie which may be of the ordinary form ofconstruction and is formed with a seat-recess 2 in the upper sidethereof to receive a chair-bar 3. The length of the recess 2 will dependupon the length of the said bar 3, and the latter extends continuouslyfrom rail to rail.

. Referring now more particularly, to Fig. 1, the chair-bar hascut'therethrough in a transverse direction a pair of chair-slots 4,located adjacent the outer terminal of the bar and intercepted by anintermediate chair 5, having an upper horizontal face of a width equalto and adapted to receive the flange 7 of a rail 8. The said slots 4have key-grooves 5 communicating therewith and located at opposite endsof. the bases thereof and in part constructed in corelative positions inthe chair 3. The slotsd and grooves 5 are adapted to receive key-blocks9,which have their outer edges relatively to the position of the railshaped to conform to the walls of the slots 4 and grooves 5 at saidpoints and to provide key-flanges 10 and upper bearing-flanges 11. Theends of the said blocks adjacent the rail have recesses thereinconforming in contour to the parts they are tent and also to pro:

vide key-flanges 12 and holding-flanges. 13, the latterhaving their endsextending to and bearing against thewebof the rail vand fully contactingwith the upper side of the flange of the latter. Under ordinaryconditions these blocks. 9 may be fitted snug enough in the slots andgrooves to receive the same without other fastenin gs l but, as willhereinafter appear, fastenings' may be used, and in some instancestheopposite ends of the said blocks may be held by contiguous devices orparts of railroad attachments ordinarily employed.

The construction shown in Fig.6 is substantially similar to thatillustrated in Fig.1, with the exception that theoutsideblock 14 islarger than the similar block in Fig. 1 to adapt the improved fastenerto'curved constructions and where it is necessary to have a greaterresistance established against a spreading-pressure due to a inclinationof a.

locomotive or train, as in rounding curves.

- In the arrangement shown by Fig. 6 the outer terminal of the chair-barwillbe thickened, as at 15, to compensate for the increase in thethickness in the block 14, or, as indicated by dotted lines, a wedgemight be used IOO to take up the difierence in thickness necessary inthis arrangement of the parts of the device. It might be more beneficialin curves to have the chair-bars extend entirely across the track-bedfor evident reasons, and to decrease the cost of manufacture by a savingin the use of the number of patterns it may be desirable to make all thechair-bars of an equal thickness from end to end.

As a safeguard against movement or displacement of the chair-bar fromthe tie in a transverse direction a'securing-bolt 16 is to be used andprojected through the said bar from end to end. This transverse movementof the chair-bar in relation to the said bolt 16 is prevented by thehead of the bolt extending over an adjacent portion of the tie, as shownby Fig. 1, and the nut or similar device on the opposite extremity ofthe bolt will in like manner be projected over a portion of the tie, andthese bolts being disposed in opposite extremities of the chair-bar willelfectively serve to retain said bar in proper position on the tie. Thissame bolt 16 may at times also serve to support well-known devices atopposite ends of the blocks 9 to prevent the latter from moving.

In Fig. 7 a slight change in the construc tion and arrangement of theseveral parts is shown, and in this instance the tie 1 is formed withsockets 17 to receive dowel pins or studs 18 on the bottom of thechair-bar 19. The said chair-bar in this form of the device has theregular recess 20 formed in the upper portion thereof, and the blocks 21and 22 also differ in construct-ion from those heretofore set forth. Theinside blocks 21, and which will be the same on both sides of the railin straight runs of track, have their terminals farthest from the railfitting snugly against the adjacent end wall of the said recess 20. Bythis means a strong reinforce is provided against the slightest movementof the rail inward toward the center of the tie. The outer blocks 22 foruse on curves will be formed in each instance with a flange 23 to bearupon the adjacent top portion of the chair-bar to give abetter finishand also provide a reinforce-fastening. The blocks are held in thisarrangement by bolts 24, which have their screw-threaded ends uppermostto receive nuts 25, which are located or brought to bear firmly againstthe top surfaces of the said blocks, or other devicescan be used forthis purpose.

In addition to the means set forth for preventing movement of the railsfrom their predetermined positions and sidewise it will be observed thatthe rails will also be prevented from having a vertical movement, anddanger arising from this form of loose play will also be avoided. Thechair, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 6, is also dispensed with in theconstruction shown in Fig. 7, and thus the cost of manufacture will bereduced, and primarily the blocks 21 and 22, as well as the chair-bars,will all be constructed on such a scale that when the rails are heldthereby they will have the proper gage.

Either form of the improved fastener can be easily set up in operativeposition, and when necessary the parts may be as readily dissembled byproper parties and for the purpose of track repair. The use of theimproved device will avoid the accidents incident to the employment ofthe ordinary form of railroad-spike and will, in the main, be lessexpensive than the ordinary spikes, in view of the fact that theyrequire continual replacement or tightening and the employment of alarge force of operatives or trackhands to carefully look after andguard against such well-known contingencies. The ties will also beprotected and their wearing qualities increased, in view of the factthat they will not be subjected to the pound of a loose rail, and waterwill be prevented from running in under the flange and rotting the wood.

Many other advantages will appear in the practical use of the device,and to accommodate various applications changes in the form,proportions, and minor details of construction may be made andsubstituted for those shown and described without in the least de'parting from the nature or spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In arail-fastener, the combination with a tie, of a chair-bar movably heldthereon and extending longitudinally in a plane parallel with the tie,the lower portion of the bar and the upper part of the tie having afixed assemblage by means completely independent of the devices, fordirectly holding the rails to prevent longitudinal movement of the bartoward either end of the tie and also transverse movement on the latter,the opposite extremities of the upper portion of the bar having atransverse recessed opposite end construction in a plane at a rightangle to the direction of the bar and tie, rails extending transverselyacross the bar in the center of said recessed constructions, andtransversely-insertible key-blocks removably seated in the said recessedconstructions on opposite sides of the rail, and having parts thereofextending over the opposite portions of the flanges of the rail, saidkey-blocks being wholly within the confines of and flush with theopposite sides of the bar and hold ing the rails in central position inthe recessed constructions and having the ends thereof opposite thosebearing against the flanges of the rails snugly abutting against the endlimits or walls of the recessed constructions.

2. In a rail-fastener, the combination with a tie having a recess in theupper portion thereof, of a chair-bar removably fitted in said recess,and having an upper recessed construction, a bolt extending transverselythrough the chair-bar and having opposite de- III:

vices thereof bearing in part upon the said bar and adjacent portions ofthe tie, a rail intermediately located in the said recessedconstruction, and key-blocks disposed in the said recessed constructionon the inner and outer sides of the rails.

3. In a rail-fastener, the combination with a tie, of a chair-bar letinto said tie and havin g upper seat-slots with inner and outerkeygrooves, the said seat-slots being transversely intercepted by anintermediate chair with an upper horizontal face, and also provided withsimilar grooves in opposite edges, the said horizontal face of the chairbeing adapted to and inner lower key-flanges which enter thekey-grooves, and also with upper bearingflanges.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN WALKER GAY.

Witnesses:

S. O. MULKEY, M. O. POTTER.

